Honest Thunder
by Espurrcat
Summary: Pantherlily is frightened of the thunder. Gajeel is frightened of the thunder, too...? Or so he feels he must claim, in order to cover up a very embarrassing moment for him in front of Levy...pure GaLe fluff amidst a storm.


_**Honest Thunder**_

It started from far away, sounding too much to him like the low purring of a predator. He tried his damndest to ignore it, being the brave warrior that he was.

But as even brave warriors well knew, nature's fury cannot be halted, and the rumbling only grew louder as it drew closer and closer to their unsuspecting guildhall.

Panic began fraying the edges of his nerves, but he attempted to hide it by raising a mug of Mira's special kiwi-ale to his quivering lips, all the while surveying his surroundings with an inquiring gaze.

Everything seemed to be following the status quo. The tone of Fairy Tail was nothing short of jovial, if not a little extra rowdy from being a bit fuller than normal due to the ferocious storm howling outside. He continued to watch his comrades for a while longer, letting their antics and good spirits ease his tension a bit.

Until...

_BrrrooomboomCRACK!_

The thunder fulminated at the speed of Laxus' lightning this time, catching our unsuspecting hero completely off his guard. With a rather shrill yowl, he jumped out of his stool in fright, pleasantly surprised when he found not the floorboards greeting his fall, but a pair of warm arms.

"Oi, Lily! The thunder's really getting to you today, isn't it?"

A sympathetic smile beamed down at him, belonging to the guild's resident blue-haired bookworm. The Exceed barely managed to nod his head, paws clawing up towards his ears in a vain effort to drown out his accursed foe.

"Well don't you worry Mister Lily," she gave him an affectionate scratch under the chin, "Let Levy protect you during the storm today!" With the declaration made, the bluenette began taking a shivering Pantherlily with to her and Lucy's spot on the opposite end of the bar.

Her grip was solid iron as she cuddled him to her chest, the Exceed discovered to his dismay, as his efforts in trying to escape proved fruitless. All he really wanted was to find a sound-proof closet and lock himself up until the reign of thunder passed. But truth be told...he stole a quick glance towards the stool a certain Iron Dragon Slayer normally claimed as his own, if he could hold out just a little while longer, this alternative could prove to be quite entertaining...

* * *

The door to the guildhall opened slowly, without sound. The members of Fairy Tail currently occupying the chairs closest to it later bemoaned that it was a terribly deceptive entrance for one in such a foul mood. Though to most, when did Gajeel ever really appear to be in any other kind?

The Dragon Slayer was all sleek shadow and a glaring, crimson gaze as he stalked through the rows of his boisterous guild mates, searching for one black-furred comrade in particular. _Not here, or there, or with the other dumb cats either! Tch, damn furball. Just because of the thunder he thinks it's okay to skip out on training?_

He stopped suddenly, tangling one hand in the mane of his dampened, dark hair, the other reaching out to grab someone's mug of ale from a nearby table and downing it in one fell swoop. Silencing the bubbling, indignant protests of Max with an outstretched fist, he this time tried to rely on his nose to get the job done.

...And it promptly wrinkled in disgust! The scents of sweaty bodies freshly returned from jobs, wet clothes, Droy's now-perpetual chicken-smell...these and more mixed together to form a cocktail that was very unpleasing to his overly-sensitive olfactory senses. Yet there was one scent his nose pinpointed in that noxious death-cloud; one that was oh-so-sweet. Normally Gajeel didn't particularly enjoy things that were too sweet, but there was a faint, tart undertone that reminded him of a juicy citrus fruit he just wanted to devour. That scent stood out among all the rest, and he let himself be lead to it.

As if one under a spell, his nose guided and guided him. Until dimly in the back of his mind, he registered that he was no longer walking. But that delectable _incense..._it was everywhere now, flooding his mind, drugging his senses...

"U-um...Gajeel..."  
"What the hell is he doing?!"  
"This is just embarrassing."

The fearsome Dragon Slayer snapped to, feeling something light and soft tickling at his nose. He could hear Natsu's blonde bunny girl sputtering like a broke-down vehicle and Levy's hitched breathing. And he could see...all he could see was...

Blue.

"Gajeel, I repeat: Why are you shoving your face into my hair?"

Pantherlily's deep chuckling reverberated in his ears and Gajeel finally finds the original reason he'd entered the guild in the first place, looking over the top of Levy's head to see that damnable cat still snuggled in Levy's arms as the metal mage slowly, stiffly straightens, embarrassment attempting to rust his limbs.

The smirk his partner donned was as wide as can be, as the jealous ire in Gajeel's eyes let Pantherlily know there will be hell to pay later before the Dragon Slayer simply dashes away, leaving nothing more than a gust of air as answer for the bluenette.

The Exceed, having a full-on view of the scarlet blush laying claim to Levy's skin, decidedly determines that any retribution Gajeel may see fit to dish out will be one hundred times worth it.

* * *

Outside, the wind howled, and subject to its rage a downpour of slanting rain traveled the skies on unbound wings.

Luckily for Pantherlily, the thunder had ceased, but the storm raged on. The water made an unpredictable rhythm as it struck the greenery surrounding Fairy Tail, a fitting background music to her little adventure. An adventure the solid script mage was now regretting allowing herself be talked in to. She kept her arms above her head, her orange sleeves a flimsy shield against the staccato pelting.

"'You need to run after him!', Lucy says. 'He was jealous', Pantherlily insists. Pah! You really aren't such a genius sometimes, Levy."

Levy kept her head downcast as she walked, concentrating on watching her red, strap-up sandals squish through the mess of a trail she walked on. _Slipping and breaking my ankle would be just the perfect way to end this ordeal of a night, _she thought with a grimace.

It was nearly pitch-dark in the area of the forest Pantherlily had figured the Dragon Slayer would retreat to; a spot well away from the guild that the duo usually occupied during their bouts of training. In between the trees that stood vigil on either side of her like silent guardians, the shadows seemed to congeal and shift, prompting the girl to pray that only Gajeel was lurking out here, somewhere. _And the bastard better show himself soon_, she concluded, as a shiver shook her petite frame and she tried in vain to rub some warmth into her wet shoulders.

"Come to fetch me, fairy shrimp?"

Levy let out a breathy gasp as the formless voice startled her, the bluenette missing a step and slipping harshly upon her rear, down to the wet mud.

The wind carried a sound to her ears then, sounding like Gajeel's signature laugh, but dipped in dark, husky secrets. Like a bitter chocolate she wanted to run along her tongue. Despite the cold, a fierce warmth emblazoned her cheeks and indignant, she looked up to find the Dragon Slayer casually leaning against a tree to her right, amusement etched onto his rough features.

"It's not funny, you big bolt-headed brute!" Her outburst only elicited another, more guffawing wave of laughter from the man.

Then in a mere blink of the eye, Gajeel vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of the small mage's drenched form, towering over her. Another bout of heat flashed through Levy's body, not unwelcome, as ember eyes smoldered in the darkness of twilight, openly appraising the sight laid before them.

She suddenly became distinctly more aware of the vulnerability of her position; her light summer dress sticking to the contours of her body in all the wrong (_right_) places, soaked mass of hair falling loose from her bandana and wild about her shoulders, limbs still splayed about with wanton...

A movement caught her gaze and drew her from introspective thoughts, Gajeel's own sodden mane tumbling over his shoulders as he knelt down on one knee before her. She was reminded of the earlier incident that caused her to trek out here in the first place.

"Well congratulations, you found me. Now let's get _you_ back inside before you catch fever and everyone attempts to beat the shit outta me for it." A gloved hand is stretched out in front of her face, but all Levy can focus her attention on is the remembered feeling of Gajeel's warm breath tickling down her neck.

She takes in a shaky breath of her own to steel her nerves and asks again:

"Why the heck were you nuzzling my head earlier, Gajeel?!"

The proffered hand stiffens involuntarily, but he was prepared. In fact, he had spent most of his time since running away thinking of an excuse suitable enough to save face in light of that terribly _unmanly _happening.

"I'm afraid of thunder! I powered through it, being as hardcore as I am and all, to try and find Pantherlily so we could face our fears together, like real fighters. But uh, a burst of thunder startled me so bad I ended up tripping onto you. That's why!" The words babbled out of his mouth and ended in a lop-sided grin, one she thought was far too proud when he was obviously such a poor liar.

With a tilt of the head, she gave him a curious look. "But you've never seemed afraid of thunder before, Gajeel..." The bemusement in her voice really ticked him off, lighting the fuse of his notoriously short temper.

"What the friggin' hell, fairy girl! Why do you always gotta be arguin' with me?! Maybe it's a new development! Anyway, aren't you supposed to be more sympathetic or somethin'? It didn't seem to me like you were shy about comforting my _cat_!"

Levy is silent for a moment, taking the time to look anywhere but the man in front of her. "That's because...I didn't expect him to turn me away." The admission came so quiet, nearly anyone else would have had trouble picking out their words in between the howls of wind. But despite their timidity, they were cutting to him all the same. So that's how it was, huh?

Gajeel no longer patiently offered his hand.

The withdrawal struck something deep in the girl's heart, something Levy had tried her hardest to keep hidden before those vulnerable words she uttered just moments ago. So that's how it is, huh.

She decided to swallow the emotional pain for now, to be dealt with later. The bluenette winced as she attempted pushing herself off her rear, taking a mental note of bruising that was sure to come. She didn't hear the unfamiliar clipping and ruffling sounds, being so focused on easing herself up with minimum pain; didn't register quite what was going on until something dark and soft was placed firmly upon her shoulders.

Gajeel's feathered shoulder piece. On the Iron Dragon Slayer, the mini-cloak barely fit over one of those massive shoulders but on her, it was like a perfectly-fitting shawl. One she was delighted to discover had his piquant scent all over it.

Levy brought her hands up to stroke at the foreign material, reveling in the satin feeling of the feathers. The time for admiration didn't last long, however, as a sure grip grabbed hold of her wrist and Gajeel pulled the little bookworm to her feet with almost comical ease.

Without a word, he started walking in the direction back to Fairy Tail, prompting a squeak from Levy as she jogged to catch up with his long strides. Her arms clutched Gajeel's cloak about her body almost possessively as the duo made their way down the slippery path.

"My shoulder is cold now." Gajeel's voice grunts through their awkward silence, all tough-guy gravel. Wondering if he was trying to make her feel guilty, Levy turns to look at him with a smart retort on her lips, stopping short at the expectant look he was practically burning into her.

"I...might be able to help." She smiles shyly, before encircling the previously-adorned arm into both of hers. Not even her head reaches his shoulder as she leans into him, but neither of them seem to care as the their bodies are already buzzing with warmth, each treasuring the rare proximity to the other.

"Hey, Gajeel..." Levy started coyly as they finally approached the doors to the guild.  
"Hn."  
"You can hide in my hair anytime you need to, big boy."

* * *

It came from not-so-very far away, sounding to him like the laughter of a woman who had conquered a fear. And as the doors to their guildhall opened with a _bang!_ - Levy dashing through with a goofy grin on her face, Gajeel's cloak about her shoulders, and said Dragon Slayer roaring after her - Pantherlily for once was thankful for the thunder.

* * *

**AN: Huh, writing fluff between them is hard. I'm a little unsure on how this turned out, but it was a good experience and I sincerely hope someone enjoys it! If so, let me know because I'll be continuing trying my hand at this pairing in all sorts of ways. : ) Also, I adore writing about Pantherlily. Especially adorable scared! Pantherlily. **


End file.
